Gas-distributing apparatus



G. "O. CARTER .GAS DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS Filed July 19 1922 All till

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hppliwtion filed July W, 19th. aerial N0. hldflldh. I

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, GUENN 0. Carmen, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Rochelle, in the county of Westchester and State of NewYork, have invented oer-- train new and useful Improvements in Gas.

Distributing Apparatus, of which-the following is a specification.

This invention relates to gas distributing systems and particularly toan improved apparatus for feeding oxygen and similar gas from storagecylinders to headers to which gas cutting and welding appliances may becoupled.

The pressure of the oxygen in the usual freshl -charged storage cylinderis about 1800 l s. per sq. in, but when this decreases to about 500 lbs..per sq. in. it is no longer very satisfactory for use in metal cutting.

appliances. Generally, such used cylinders' are returned to a fillingstation to be refilled and the residual gas isthus lost to the v Theprincipal object of this invention is to provide a system. at gasdistribution whereby such residual gas may be utilized for otherpurposes where the lower gas pressure is satislactor as in'heating andweld-- ing operations. 0 this end the invention comprises an apparatusby which the high and low pressure gases may be distributed as desiredwith a minimum of labor in handlin the cylinders.

The a ove and other objects and the novel features or the invention willbe apparent from the following description taken with the accompanyingdrawing which diagrammatically illustrates a as distributing systern orapparatus embodying this invention.

Referring to the drawing, the apparatus comprises a high-pressure lineor header A and a low-pressure line or header B, res ec-' tivelyarranged to convey high and 0W pressure oxygen to cutting appliances andto heating and welding ap liances. These headers may be rovide withcontrol valves A, A and B arranged on opposite sides of pressureregulators C and of the usual type.

The supply of gas, e. g. oxygen, may be obtained from two or more banksor groups of stora e cylinders or tanks, the cylinders of each cate witheither of the eaders through suitable valve-controlled section pipes orP y means of the shut-ofi' valves ank being arran ed tocommunicrossheaders. As shown, three section pi es X, Y and Z areconnected to the hea ers A and B and valves X, X; Y, Y" and Z, controlthe fiow or gas as desired from the banks bf cylinders coupled to thesection pipes. h or the purposes of illustration it may be assumed thatthe-cylinders in the bank H contain high-pressure oxygen, those in thebank l1 contain residual as and those in the bank N have been freshyfilled and are held in reserve until the ressure in the bank H is toolow for use in the high-pressure line A. Each cylinder of the bank H ofhigh 'pressure'cylinders is connected by a valve controlled branch pipeE to the section pi e X, in like manner each of the cylinders o the bankL of low pressure cylinders may communicate through a valve controlledbranch pi e F with a section pipe Y, and similary the cylinders of thebank N are coupled to the section Z by valve-controlled branchpi pes Gr.

Y, Y and Z', Z the oxygen from any bank of c linders may be fed toeither of the bee ers. For example, by shutting ed the valve X" andopening the valve X, the high pressure oxygen from the bank H may besupplied to the high pressure header A, and b closin the valve Y andopening the va ve Y t e low pressure oxygen from the bank L may besupplied -to the'header B. It may be assumed that the bank L of lowpressure cylinders contains the residual oxy en of a pressure 'too lowto be useful in t e high pressure header A, When the pressure in the lowpressure bank'L becomes toolow for use m the low ressure header. B thevalve Y is shut o the cylinders are uncoupled and returned to thefilling station for re filling. lit may also be assumed that in themeantime the pressure in the bank H of high pressure cylinders hasdecreased so that this oxygen is no longer of a satisfactory pressurefor use in the higher pressure header A. Accordin ly, the valve K isclosed and the valve X may be opened so as to deliver the residual gasfrom this bank of cylinders to the lower ressure header 13. While gas isbeing elivered from the banks H and L, the reserve bank of cylinders Nis coupled to the section pipe Z in readiness to deliver high pressureoxygen through the valve Z to the header Eli lld

A, when the shut-ofl valve X of thejbank H has been closed, thusreplacing the bank H. While low pressure oxygen is being supplied fromthe bank H and high pressure :oxygen is being supplied from the bank Z,a freshly-filled bank of cylinders is coupled to the section pipe Y inplace of the bank of cylinders L from whichthe residual ox gen haspractically been entirely delivere The number of cylinders coupledseveral section pipes is, of course, optional and the number of headersand section pipes may also be increased as desired, and the section pipeZ may even be dispensed with. it will thus be seen that the distributingsystem admits of continuous use of oxygen from both high pressure andlow pressure headers and much oxygen that was formerl'ly lost to thepurchaser may, without difficulty, be obtained and used advantageously.

ii claim 'l. A gas distributing apparatus for use with portable gasstorage cylinders comprising a high pressure header, a low pressureheader, and means adapted to be coupled to one or .more cylinders andarranged to convey gas therefrom successively to the high pressureheader and to the low pressure -header whereby residual gas from suchcylinders may be utilized in said low pressure header.

2. A fluid distributin apparatus comprising two main fluid deliveringheaders, cross eaders connecting the same, means for connecting saidcross headers to fluid stora e tanks or the like, and valves in saidcross eaders for opening the same to supply fluid from said tanks toeither of said main headers. I

3. In a gas distributing system, the combination of a high pressureheader, ,a; low pressure header, section pipes communicatmg with saidheaders, valves controlling the communication of said section pipes withsaid headers, means for supplying high pressure gas to one of saidsection pipes, and

to the means for supplying low pressure gas to another of said sectionpipes.

.4. In a gas distributing system, the combination of a high ressureheader, a low pressure header, banks of cylinders containing gases atdifferent pressures, and means whereby said banks of cylinders may becon,- nected so as to communicate with either of said headers, wherebywhen the pressure of gas in one bank of cylinders decreases below apredetermined value, such bank of cylinders may be arranged tocommunicate with the low pressure header.

5. In a gas distributing system, the combination of a high pressure gasdelivering header, a low pressure gas delivering header, three or moresection pipes communicating with both of said headers, valves forcontrolling the discharge from said section pipes to said headers, andmeans for connecting separate gas supplying means to said section pipes.

6. Gas distributing apparatus for use with portable gas storage means,such apparatus comprising the combination of a main low pressure headerfor delivering gas to low pressure gas consumin means, a main highpressure header for de ivering gas to high pressure gas consuming means,cross headers severally connected to said main headers, means forconnecting said cross headers'to gas storage means, and valves in saidcross headers for opening the latter to deliver gas from said storagemeans optionally to either of said main headers.

7. Gas distributing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein such storagemeans comprises portable gas storage cylinders and wherein there are atleast three cross headers, whereby each cross header may be successivelyconnected to first deliver gas to the main high pressure header, laterto the main low ressure header, and finally shut 011 from 0th mainheaders for the'replacement of cylinders. y

In testimony whereof, I aifix my signature.

GLENN O. CARTER.

